Page 43 of Stripe Theory

“Then we’ll be ready,” she said firmly, squeezing his hand. “No one messes with my patients. Or my lab. Or...” She met his eyes. “Or my tiger.”

The possessive note in her voice made his tiger rumble with approval.

Above them, the security camera flickered again – a silent warning of battles yet to come.

THIRTY-FOUR

Sierra’s medical bay had transformed into an impromptu research station. Equipment salvaged from the lab crowded every available surface, creating organized chaos that reminded Rehan distinctly of Alora’s usual workspace. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Alora and his mother work in surprisingly fluid coordination.

“The traditional compounds are showing remarkable interaction with the modified antibodies,” Jewel explained, adjusting a microscope setting. Her usual reserved demeanor had softened, replaced by genuine scientific curiosity. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

“The molecular binding is captivating.” Alora tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture Rehan had come to recognize as her deep-in-thought tell. “Look at how the shifter healing properties enhance the delivery mechanism.”

The sight of them working together stirred something deep in Rehan’s chest. His tiger rumbled contentment, pleased to see his mother accepting their chosen mate. The thought no longer shocked him as it once had. Somewhere between purple smoke bombs and falling asleep with her against his fur, denial had become impossible.

“Your mother’s brilliant,” Maya commented, appearing beside him with her uncanny shifter stealth. “Now we know where you get your scary-smart genetics from.”

“Shouldn’t you be off your feet?” But there was no heat in his words. Maya had earned her place in their odd family dynamic.

“Please. Hunter tried that argument already.” She grinned.

On cue, Hunter materialized from thin air, making Maya jump. “Status report,” he announced, though Rehan didn’t miss how his gaze lingered on Maya’s bandaged leg.

“Blood pressure stabilizing,” Jewel reported without looking up. “The new treatment protocol shows promising results.”

Sierra stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Did someone say protocol? Because I vote we protocol Alora into making more of those cookies from last week.”

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Rehan chided, but relief coursed through him at his sister’s attempt at humor.

“I’m supposed to be celebrating your birthday.” Sierra’s voice was weak but determined. “Which, by the way, was going great until someone crashed the party. Very rude of them.”

“Extremely rude,” Maya agreed. “I put a lot of effort into that cake.”

Alora laughed, the sound warming Rehan’s soul. “I’m starting to think your shifter form isn’t a cat at all – it’s a cake-hunting bloodhound.”

“My priorities are perfectly reasonable, thank you very much.”

The easy banter was interrupted by another security system glitch. Screens flickered, then stabilized. Hunter tensed, moving automatically to a defensive position.

“Fourth anomaly in two hours,” he reported grimly.

Sierra pushed herself up slightly. “The virus... during the attack, I felt it changing. Like it was feeding off the adrenaline.”

“Easy.” Jewel adjusted her daughter’s pillows. “Save your strength.”

But Alora had that look – the one that meant her mind was connecting dots others hadn’t even seen. “Sierra, can you describe exactly what you felt? Any physical sensations, emotional responses?”

As Sierra detailed her experience, Rehan found himself drawn closer to Alora. The fierce intelligence in her eyes, the way she processed information with lightning speed, the gentle manner she used to draw out details from his sister... his tiger paced with growing certainty.Mine.

“The protein markers...” Alora muttered, pulling up data on her tablet. “If the virus responds to heightened emotional states... I need to get the samples from?—”

Alora turned too quickly, stumbling slightly in her exhaustion. Rehan caught her automatically, one hand steadying her waist while the other cushioned her head against his chest. The contact sent electricity racing through him.

“Sorry,” she mumbled against his shirt. “Got excited about science again.”

“Never apologize for that.” The words came out deeper than intended, rumbling with his tiger’s approval.

Someone – probably Maya at the computer workstation– made a sound suspiciously like “awww.”

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